Elvis Presley’s Remarkable Performance of a B.J. Thomas’ Hit

^{Elvis Presley / Photo credit: cdandlp.com}

Songwriting tandem and couple Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil inscribed a tune that later found itself being repeatedly recorded by various artists. Mann, himself, was among those who first recorded and released the song as a single. However, it was B.J. Thomas’ version that gave “I Just Can’t Help Believing” its first taste of success in 1970. Following up his massive hit “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” Thomas shone afresh with this Mann-Weil penned song. The singer took the song on top of the Adult Contemporary chart and managed to enter the Hot 100 Top 10 peaking at No. 9.

Listen below to Thomas’ cover of “I Just Can’t Help Believing.”

Elvis Presley’s Live Performance

While Thomas’ version was still at the height of popularity, The King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley took the song to another level of fame with his live recording of it. In the summer of 1970, the same year Thomas released the song, Presley performed it on stage in Las Vegas. His delivery of “I Just Can’t Help Believing” during a dinner show on August 11, 1970, was truly remarkable. That live footage made it onto the soundtrack album to the singer’s movie entitled That’s the Way It Is. Subsequently, it landed a spot on the UK singles chart (No. 6). Since then, “The Tender of You” singer has sung the song during almost every show. But, his performance at the International Hotel in Las Vegas is considered as one of his best. The orchestra and vocals were both almost perfect.

Interestingly, in the midst of his career feat, Presley’s marital affair was having setbacks. Shortly before the track’s release, Presley’s wife Pricilla moved out taking their daughter Lisa Marie with her. That’s totally in contrast with the line from the song,

This time the girl is gonna stay.

Watch the King of Rock and Roll’s live performance of the song below.

Folks, did you enjoy this piece? We would be glad to hear your thoughts or experiences related to the song. Likewise, please do not forget to hit the like button and share the fun with other fans of country music. Here on Country Thang Daily, we strive to bring you a daily dose of cutting-edge entertainment through country music and information.

To stay tuned, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. We’re also on Instagram and Pinterest.